On the eve of the start of serial production of the Lada Azimut, AVTOVAZ is launching the production of new 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines. The head of the powertrain design department emphasized that the new engines are not just a modification of the 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines produced in Tolyatti since 2013 and 2016, respectively. These are genuinely new units, although their development was based on already mastered technologies.
The 1.6-liter engine features a completely new crankshaft with the number of counterweights reduced to four, new pistons with a modified shape, and a variable valve timing system. The crankshaft of the 1.8-liter unit still has 8 counterweights, but now features refined counterweights for the use of piston cooling oil jets, which simultaneously reduced the crankshaft weight and mechanical losses, an optimized combustion chamber in the piston – this improved cylinder scavenging performance and reduced mechanical losses by decreasing lateral load on the cylinder walls and improving piston cooling, as well as a new cylinder block adapted to the platform.
The engines received a number of unified solutions. The cylinder head features optimized intake and exhaust ports, as well as a modified combustion chamber shape, which increased the compression ratio from the previous 10.45 to 10.6. The engines use new piston cooling oil jets, new camshafts with altered cam positions and a reduction in intake valve lift height from 8.71 mm to 8.43 mm. New valves with reduced stem thickness are used, along with new injectors featuring a modified spray pattern geometry, smaller diameter spark plugs (M12 instead of M14), a new fuel rail and fuel pipe with a modified cross-sectional geometry, and a new design oil pump with 20-25% increased capacity. Incidentally, the pistons of these engines remain "non-interference," meaning that a timing belt break does not lead to catastrophic consequences.
All of this has made it possible to significantly increase engine performance. The 1.6-liter engine now produces 120 hp instead of 106 and can deliver 154 Nm of maximum torque (compared to 148 Nm). Meanwhile, torque at 1000 rpm increased from 109 to 112 Nm. The power of the 1.8-liter unit grew from 122 to 135 hp, and the maximum torque from 170 to 175 Nm. Torque at 1000 rpm increased from 124 to 130 Nm.
The main new addition to the model lineup, the Lada Azimut, will receive both the 1.6 and 1.8-liter new-generation engines. Additionally, the Lada Iskra will be equipped with the new 1.6-liter engine, and the Lada Vesta with the 1.8-liter engine. The Lada Granta will for now retain its previous engine lineup.
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